Heaven Can Wait
by asianpearl
Summary: A series of GerZa oneshots and mini-stories. Chapter 2 : Isn't the definition of insanity to try something over and over again, expecting a different result?
1. Just Business : Part I

**CHAPTER 1 : BUSINESS AND PLEASURE**

'What do you mean you're selling the company?' yelled Natsu, standing up and slamming his palms on the table.

His eyes flicked angrily from Markarov to Laxus who sat quietly at their respective ends of the long wooden table, their heads bowed.

'I know things are getting tougher with the economy, and the tax hike and everything, but we can't just give up like this!' he continued.

The room was silent, all those present at the board meeting filled with remorse and frustration, in stark contrast to their normal noisy and rambunctious behavior. Beside him, Lucy laid a hand on Natsu's arm, urging him to calm down.

'How the hell do you expect me to calm down?' he yelled 'We've built this company from the ground up! I love Fairy Tail Industries like my own child! And now you're telling me we've just got to sit back and watch it taken by the highest bidder? Just so he can chop it up and sell it for parts?'

'Enough!' said Erza. 'Sit down Natsu,'

She glared at him from her seat across the table, her brows furrowed.

'Fighting and yelling about it will get us nowhere,' she said with forced calm 'we all know that the company is in bad shape right now, and with the recent anima incident, the market for magical items isn't what it used to be,'

The dark haired man on Lucy's left sighed and removed his tie. On any normal day, he would've been shirtless by now, but however, as with everyone and everything, there just seemed to be no mood for it.

'I heard from old man Jura that both Caitshelter and Phantom Lord have filed for bankruptcy yesterday. Seems like this slum is hitting all of our allies,' he said.

Suddenly, a phone began to ring, its shrill tone echoing in the large, silent room. The pale, blue haired woman who sat beside Gray quickly retrieved it; and after a few moments, set it back down again, and announced

'Reporters have gathered downstairs. They wish to speak to the chairman,' she said timidly, casting her gaze over the short, balding man.

'Go in my place Laxus, we'll continue this meeting tomorrow' he told his grandson, crossing his legs and leaning his bony hands heavily against his knees. As the members of the board rose up in further argument, the old man held up a withered hand, and the room immediately fell silent.

'We will wait 24 hours. If we do not get a favorable response from the buyers by then, we will consider other options,' he continued.

'Is there really no other way?' asked Lucy 'If we're bought over by an enemy company, they'll most likely disband us. We could lose so much more than the company,'

Gray snorted and crossed his hands over his chest.

'Well, to be perfectly frank, Lucy, if your boyfriend hadn't gone around stomping out the competition, creating more enemies than allies, we probably wouldn't even be in this predicament,' sneered the black haired man.

'Hah!' yelled Natsu 'Says the guy who chucks his pants off at every single news conference and business meeting there is! I'm surprised that they haven't listed you as a sex offender!'

The men were just about to lunge at each other's throats when suddenly; a sharp whistle pierced the air of the conference room. All heads swiveled to the fair headed beauty sitting on Laxus' immediate right; next to Erza. Her forehead was creased in an unusual frown and her hands were clasped in front of her on the table, gripped tight with determination.

'That's enough from the two of you!' she scolded 'How on earth are we supposed to attract potential buyers if we cannot even be unified ourselves. We have to hold together in these hard times, and not forget that it is our loyalty to each other which keeps us strong,'

Chairman Makarov's heart swelled with pride as he saw his young apprentice take centre stage with such tenacity and spirit. Of course, those two qualities were ones which everyone possessed. And as he watched the two boys men return to their seats, heads bowed; he was reminded of a time where he had first met those two hot headed teenagers, still fresh out of high school, full of burning passion to succeed in the corporate world, and even a greater desire to outdo each other. With the exceptions of Lucy and Juvia, he had known all his trusted board members since they were young. He had trained them well, and prior to the economic downfall of Fiore, Fairy Tail Industries had been one of the premier magical manufacturing companies around.

With a great sigh, he adjourned the meeting. There was a general disgruntled murmur of frustration and disappointment as everyone began to pack up their things and make for the exit.

'I expect to see you all at the Councilman's gala tonight,' said the old man 'There will be plenty of people of great influence there, and we must try our best to secure out company's future,'

'Juvia is curious,' said the foreign blunette, pausing suddenly 'why is this elaborate party thrown when the money can so obviously go elsewhere? Juvia thinks this Councilman Shinra is being extremely wasteful'

Surprisingly, it was Erza who replied,

'Those lofty fools live in their own little worlds,' she sneered darkly, much to the shock of the others 'They trample on anyone and would do anything just to acquire what they desire,'

Something flickered in Makarov's eyes and for an instant, his frown deepend.

_Maybe, just maybe, this might work._

'Erza, may I have a word with you in private?' he asked

The rest of them filled out of the room and Erza was left alone with the old chairman. It was currently three in the afternoon, and the gala was due to begin at dinner. He got up from his seated position on the table and walked towards the floor to ceiling glass windows that took up the entire eastern wall of the room. From their 27th floor of the building, the view beyond the semi-tinted glass stretched majestically onto the large expanse of buildings and dwellings that made up the city of Magnolia. Although the chairman stood no taller than her waist, he exuded an aura that would make most grown men cower in fear. Such was the strength of the great Makarov, one of the ten members of the International Trade Council and revered business strategist the world over.

'How much do you know about a man named Zancrow?' he asked finally, not facing Erza, his hands clasped behind his back.

Erza's brow rose at the question.

'Only that he is a ruthless businessman,' she replied 'One of the prime players in the Grimoire Hearts group, they say that not one of his strategies has ever failed, and that he is even capable of outsmarting the devil himself,'

'A challenging foe, yes; but I shudder to think what would happen if we ever have to face off against him,' she added as an afterthought.

'Indeed,' replied Makarov slowly 'But would you face him, if I asked you to?'

Stunned, she replied.

'Of course, anything for you, chairman. But why-'

'I cannot trust anyone else to do this my dear. You see, I have already received propositions on the sale of the company. And one of them, most unfortunately, comes from that man himself,'

She breathed in sharply, understanding the subtle implications and also the heavy burden that had been entrusted onto her. She would definitely have to do whatever it took, to prevent Fairy Tail from falling into Grimoire Hearts' hands.

'He will be at the ball tonight,' said Makarov.

'Yes sir!' announced Erza 'I will not fail you chairman!'

Makarov turned around, his expression still grim, and stared at Erza eye to eye. It could've been her imagination, but it felt like he was holding something back from her, in those dark, mysterious orbs.

'Is anything the matter, chairman?' she asked tentatively.

'Please do not hate me for asking this Erza,' he said, shuffling his feet nervously on the floor. He looked up at her imploringly, 'Promise?'

Erza remained where she stood, silent and waiting.

'I know I promised to respect your privacy on this matter, but I have to know. Two years ago, what exactly happened between you and Councilman Fernandes?'

Her eyed widened, her breath caught in her throat, and an angry red tint made itself visible on her cheeks all at once. It had been so long, so why did it affect her so much? Why did she still feel like hunting down that evil bastard and make him pay for all he had done? He had seduced her, toyed with her feelings, used her, and then abandoned her. She made up her mind long ago- when he disappeared into thin air virtually overnight- that she never wanted to hear his name again. But why then, was her heart thumping madly, like the beating of a thousand drums?

'I… I cannot answer that question now chairman,' she said 'I'm sorry, but I… I just can't,'

The chairman sighed and looked away.

'Very well then, off you go,' he said

….

An hour later, a frown of frustration formed itself on Erza's face as she found herself spacing out for the nth time since Makarov's meeting. She was back in her large office now, and regardless of how she tried to busy herself, flashes of memories kept coming back to her as if called by some invisible siren. Seated in front of her, Wendy clicked away at her handheld device, reminding the redhead of tomorrow's appointments. The girl had just finished her high school education and was now working part time as Erza's secretary.

'…and of course there's that meeting you have with Mr Bastia over lunch. I've taken the liberty of making reservations at that French place you told me he likes….,'

The small blue haired girl noticed that her boss had drifted off yet again.

'Unless you'd prefer something else? Uh... Miss Scarlet? Erza?' she raised the volume of her voice slightly.

The redhead snapped out of her momentary trance and sent the girl an apologetic smile.

'I'm sorry Wendy. I've been floating off to god knows where. I think the big sale must be getting to me. Why don't we wrap up here and you can take the rest of the day off?' she offered.

Wendy, being her usual perceptive self, noted something was not right with Erza, something bigger than Fairy Tail. She bit her lip nervously. Dare she say it out loud? Of course, it was only rumors, but she certainly did not want to invoke the redhead's temper. She stuffed the handheld into her purse and threaded her fingers together, choosing her words carefully.

'You know, I've been reading the gossip column recently… you know the one in Sorcerer Weekly?'

'Ah yes,' Erza mumbled while shuffling the papers around her desk 'What has that Cassie come up with now? Did I decide to elope with another pierced-like-a-hedgehog rock star?' she asked lightly.

'No, actually, the article isn't about you,' said the blue haired girl 'It's about Ultear,'

'Who?' Erza tilted her head, trying to remember why that name sounded so familiar.

'She's that bitch who tried to ruin our business in Galuna Island!' said Wendy in earnest 'Convinced the townsfolk that our products would turn them into ugly monsters!'

Although it happened long before Wendy joined Fairy Tail, Erza was impressed that she knew about it. Was she worried about Ultear? Not so much… that woman lost anyway.

'What was the article about?' asked the redhead

'Well, ah… you see…,' she began

'Spit it out Wendy, I don't have all day,' If there was one thing Erza didn't like, it was a person who had a tendency to beat around the bush.

'They've spotted her with Jellal!' she said in a hurry.

Wendy was relieved to see that Erza hadn't exploded like she had predicted. However, there was a sinister look in her eyes, a cold, calculating look that looked almost predetorial.

'Where and when?' asked Erza stiffly.

'Pavilion mall, yesterday evening' Wendy didn't like the look in Erza's eyes as those normally warm chocolate orbs darkened and her lips tightened into a thin line. Was she aiming for revenge? Did that mean the office gossip was true and Jellal had, in fact, dumped her two years ago?

Erza thanked the young girl and walked out of her office with that same look on her face. A shiver ran down Wendy's spine and prayed for mercy for whoever who dared cross Erza today.

….

She shut her apartment's front door and laid her purse on the large wooden dining table. She wondered why she still bothered keeping it. It wasn't like she hosted parties anymore.

….

_Silverwear gleamed in the light of the overhanging lamps as the last morsels of pie were scraped from its dish. Erza never could pride herself as a great cook, but she comforted herself with the fact that she made a killer apple pie. It was one of their annual get-togethers, and Erza was glad she was still close to her college friends. _

_Shou stood up from his seat, holding his glass of champagne aloft._

'_I propose a toast to Wally and Milliana upon the joyous occasion of their engagement!'_

_There was a round of whoops and wolf whistles. The spiky haired blonde continued._

'_And of course, to our gorgeous hostess, thank you Erza for this wonderful dinner! You have personally ensured that I will not be able to fit into my jeans tomorrow!'_

_Another round of laughter and sounds of happy agreement filled the air._

'_You've definitely set the standard Erza!' giggled Milliana 'I have absolutely no idea how I could match up to your cooking when I throw your engagement party'_

_Curious eyes widened as the gathered group, including Simon, Midnight and Cobra waited patiently for the redhead's response. Beside her, she could feel Jellal stiffen; the arm he had wrapped around her shoulders had stilled from drawing mindless patterns on her bare arm._

'_Come on you guys, we're a long way from that,' she said, trying to placate them._

_Cobra guwaffed heartily, spilling some of his champagne on his lap._

'_Let them be,' he said, sniggering 'Those two act like a married couple already. I should know, I'm their neighbor,'_

_And they began laughing again, though Erza felt an odd queasiness from Jellal, as if he was holding back, from that point on._

….

Discarding her clothes, she stepped into the hot shower. Feeling the misty spray rain down her body, she rolled her neck this way and that until she heard a satisfied pop. As her aching muscles uncoiled under the delicious heat, she released a breathy moan, shut her eyes and allowed her thoughts to wander freely.

….

_She woke up that morning bundled up in rich Egyptian cotton sheets, in a room –though she would never admit it- she recognized as much as she did her own. He still had his arms around her, her back to his front, with his fingers dragging a single red rose petal across the naked skin of her neck and arm. His lips soon followed, placing soft, feathery kisses on her delicate skin. _

_She giggled suddenly as he hit a particularly ticklish spot, just below her jugular –on purpose, she decided- and attempted to squirm away from him. For a man who had a supposedly iron hard persona on the council, Jellal Fernandes was surprisingly playful first thing in the morning. Not that she complained._

_He held her in place and rolled over her with a sinister grin on his face, effectively caging the redhead with his lean body. She raised her arms and coiled them around his neck as he bent down to nuzzle the side of her throat, eliciting even more giggles from her. Her writhing body beneath all but shattered his self control; but he would not give in so easily. He lifted one hand from the bed and ran it lightly along the inside of her thigh, playing close to, but never touching her heated core. She felt his hardened manhood under the sheets, and blushed, knowing she was in trouble._

_Their games were suddenly interrupted by the loud ringing of his phone. The shrill sound distracted Erza and she turned to the cordless, sitting about a foot away from the bed on the nightstand._

'_You should… ah… you should… nghh… definitely get that,' she said half heartedly._

'_No distractions,' he mumbled 'whatever it is, I'll deal with it later,' as he resumed his assault on her neck, moving southwards towards her breasts._

_There was a loud buzz of the answering machine, followed by the drone of a deep, masculine voice._

'_Councilman Fernandes, this is Vidaldus Taka speaking. If you are there, I highly recommend answering this call; I have some urgent news regarding the Tower,'_

_Jellal stiffened suddenly and drew away from her with a cold, faraway look in his eyes._

'_Tower? What tower?' she asked, but he didn't answer her. Instead, he reached over and picked up the cordless, getting off her in the process._

_She observed him with narrowed eyebrows as he sat at the edge of the bed, listening intently to the speaker at the other end of the line. She made a mental note to have Wendy run a background check on this man, Vidaldus, whoever he was. She covered herself with the sheets as he got up, pulled on a robe and walked swiftly out of the room, casting a sideways glance at Erza as he did so. _

_Although he attempted to shut the door, he left it ajar in his haste and snippets of conversation floated into the room._

'_Tonight? I thought you said one week'_

'_How long can you delay it?'_

_A pregnant pause, and then..._

'_Fine, I'll be there. Give me 12 hours,'_

_Erza heard the call being cut off, and Jellal walked back into the room. He shut the door behind him and leaned against it, tilting his head skywards for a moment before taking a deep breath and looking Erza straight in the eye. _

'_That was a… ah…, a business partner of mine,' he said before she had the chance to ask him_

'_For the past few months, I've been investing in several overseas ventures, and I was just informed that one of them is about to bear fruit,' he explained_

_She wasn't completely convinced. How come she didn't know about this until now?_

'_Good for you,' she said cautiously, with no mirth in her voice 'should I know what these ventures are?' for their jobs sometimes took precedent over their lives._

_He sat beside her on the bed, his shoulders slouched._

'_I'll be going away for awhile,' he said softly 'for how long, I can't be sure, although…,'_

_A light bulb seemed to flicker on inside his head, and he turned to her, taking her hands in his, and looked at her earnestly._

'_Come with me,' he said, smiling giddily now. 'We'll go away, far away from everyone else, and we'll finally have the life we always dreamed about. A cottage by the sea, no cares, no worries, just you and me and in the future, well, who knows-'_

'_Wait, wait, wait,' she said 'Slow down, what are you saying?'_

_Her eyes widened as he got down on one knee before her, her hands still in his. Her heart raced as he squeezed her hands gently, took a deep breath and said._

'_Erza Scarlet, will you marry me?'_

….

She stepped out of her bathroom, securing her emerald bathrobe around her naked form.

Three guesses why she loved the color.

She removed the towel that was wrapped around her damp red tresses, allowing her hair to skim across the velvet green cloth. Pushing all other thought from her mind, she moved towards the closet, sliding open the door before skimming through her selection of dinner dresses. The chairman wanted her to confront Zancrow tonight, and as her hands paused on a blood red, high necked, Chinese-inspired, cheongsam type outfit, she wondered what kind of color he would find most appealing.

Disgusted at the direction her thoughts were taking, she let go of the red dress and completely rejected the idea. The thought of even being near that man sent shivers down her spine. She would find other ways to deal with him. Other, more civil ways. Her eyes settled on a long, sleeveless black number. Made of black satin, it bore a plunging neckline and red rhinestone embellishments on the bodice. She took out the dress and held it up against her body as a wave of nostalgia filled her.

She should've been angry that she had chosen that particular dress. It was, of course, his favorite. She remembered vividly how he had run his fingers lovingly along the dress, tracing the contours of her form through the thin material as they snuck into the bridal suite of an unsuspecting councilman's daughter one night several years ago. She shut her eyes, trying to block out the memory before it, like many others like it, left her to drown in her own tears, as she had done many times before.

She didn't reject his proposal. Neither did she accept either. To his disappointment, she told him that she needed time to think. But for what, she herself didn't know. Something just didn't feel right. Her heart broke as she saw him inch away from her with that dejected look on his face, as if his world had just crumbled around him. She was quick to console him of course, she hugged him tightly and assured him that she would give him her answer by that night.

Later, when she had dressed and was readying to leave, his arms encircled her waist from behind, he pulled her flush against him as he rested his head in the crook of her neck.

'_Whatever happens Erza, please believe that I love you. Only you,'_

How fickle his words had been. That very same night, Makarov had called an emergency board meeting. It seemed like someone had been tampering with the Ministry's financial records. As a result, nearly billions of jewels worth of taxpayers' money, stocks and shares has disappeared in the blink of an eye. This affected the magical companies as well since the government could no longer support the large corporations. There was a public out roar the very next day, with throngs of people boycotting the companies, protesters filling the streets and endless chaos everywhere as the Ministry seemed to crumble from the inside. Amidst all the chaos, Jellal Fernandes and Ultear, daughter of Ur vanished into thin air.

The chaos was subsequently blamed on several notorious groups such as Grimoire Hearts and Oracion Seis although the allegations could never be proven as evidence was even harder to find than the two missing councilmen. Erza, however, did not know what to believe, but rumors turned into gossip which then morphed into sick twisted lines of half truths and whole lies. By the end of the first two months, there was not a soul who deemed Jellal Fernandes innocent. They just couldn't prove it.

It was the height of Erza's embarrassment when two officers of the Rune Knights arrived at Fairy Tail and dragged her away under the flashing bulbs of the media for questioning. They had found out about her link to Jellal and thought she was in cahoots with him. Of course, the press had a field day.

**TITANIA ERZA, THE LOVER OF A TRAITOR**

She would never forgive him for that.

Stowing the black dress away, she pulled out a coral pink halter dress with princess like frills and while lace along the hem and a beautiful butterfly ribbon along the back. She removed its hanger and laid it out carefully on the bed. She was just about to begin apply her make-up when she heard movement in the hallway outside her room.

Her senses went on high alert as her head snapped in the direction of the sound and she tightened the robe around her body. There was no one else at home, and although Natsu and Gray had the tendency to show up unannounced, she realized that they would've been noisier than her intruder. Her hand found the small silver letter opener she kept on her desk as she heard the sound again. She was sure this time, footsteps.

She opened the door and inched out of the room slowly, keeping her breathing as calm as possible although her heart was beating like crazy. She was halfway down the corridor when she realized she was naked under the bathrobe.

She slapped herself mentally for abiding to such corny horror movie clichés. However, as she moved into the hall, there was no one in sight. The front door was closed and locked. Nothing seemed to be out of place. She breathed a sigh of relief and was just about to credit the temporary insanity to her hyperactive imagination when something on the dining table caught her eye.

Sitting innocently on the marble chess set was a single red rose. Beautiful, flawless, it sat there in the waning evening light, looking proud and majestic; the play of light of the evening sun caused its color to bounce off the marble chess pieces, seemingly surrounding the flower with a halo of light.

But what made her heart thunder in her heart were the little rose petals, scattered on the floor from where she stood, all the way to the table. Fear pounded through her veins as the sound of footsteps resumed, this time, directly behind her.

Even before she smelt his cologne, even before she heard the deep baritone of his voice, and even before her heart leapt as every cell within her rejoiced to be reunited with him, she knew he was there.

'It's good to see you again, Erza,'

**To be continued! **

**REVIEWS SHALL MAKE MY CHAPTERS COME FASTER!**

**Just saying.. heh..**


	2. Just Business : Part II

Even before she smelt his cologne, even before she heard the deep baritone of his voice, and even before her heart leapt as every cell within her rejoiced to be reunited with him, she knew he was there.

'It's good to see you again, Erza,'

**CHAPTER 2 : THE GAMES WE PLAY**

She took her time to turn around to face him. Not because she was afraid that any sudden movement might dislodge her bathrobe and expose her to him, or because she did not want to see him; quite the contrary actually. Her hand tightened around the letter opener as she turned around, drinking in his appearance, at the same time, keeping her face as still as possible. He would not know how much he had hurt her, how much she missed him, how much she wanted revenge.

He stood partially in the shadows of the waning day, and as he stepped fully into the light, she saw that he hadn't changed one bit. The same messy blue hair, the same tattoo, the same piercing green eyes which last she saw in sadness now held a guarded neutrality about them. He had come prepared.

He stood in a pure black three piece suit with his hands stuffed into his pockets. Up to that point she had never felt so self conscious about her clothes or appearance, but Erza blushed faintly and crossed her hands over her chest as his eyes roamed with unguarded hunger over her figure.

'You're not welcome here anymore,' she spat 'or didn't you already figure that out when you decided to leave me in the middle of that scandal to face all the humiliation?'

'It was a mistake,' he began evenly 'I was corrupted by the promise of wealth and power, and I acted like an idiot because of that,'

'I just hope the government finds enough evidence to put you behind bars for all you've done. Thanks to you and your friends, Fairy Tail is about to be destroyed,' her hands were shaking now.

He did not seem surprised by the revelation. He approached her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

'I might have been the one who planned the whole thing out, but I wasn't the one pulling the strings,' he said softly as she looked away 'It was Zeref who-'

'Zeref?' she cut him off before he had the chance to explain further. 'The overlord of all drug cartels, mafia groups, and all things underworld?' this just kept getting better and better.

'You know, the Rune Knights questioned me about your whereabouts; and I defended you!' she screamed 'What did you tell them? That I was your freakin' scapegoat? You could've just strapped me to an altar you know. Drained my blood and make me a human sacrifice. Would've been more dramatic, don't you think?'

She pulled herself away from him and marched towards her room, making him follow behind her, exasperatedly trying to explain.

'I know it sounds bad, but I've cut all ties with them. Destroyed all evidence of my involvement. The government will never be able to prove I was involved,'

And she knew he was capable of that. He was cunning enough to be capable of anything.

He caught the door just before she could try to slam it in his face. With the two inches of space the doorframe provided him, he met Erza's stubborn eyes on the other side, they were tearing up again. But she was more determined than him, forcing the door shut, narrowly missing his fingers. In frustration, he slammed a fist against the door and cursed.

'Dammit Erza, I came back for you, alright. I want to start over, become the person you trust most in this world again,'

There was no reply, only the sound of shuffling of cloth.

'I love you Erza. Please give me another chance. Please,'

A few painful, pregnant seconds passed by. The door opened silently, and Jellal saw that Erza wasn't in the bathrobe anymore. Instead, she held a light pink strapless, sleeveless dress to her chest with her hands. She bit her lip, and although he had seen and memorized many expressions on her face before, Jellal could not decipher the look in her eyes; the shadow of doubt lingering somewhere in the pathway to forgiveness.

She suddenly took hold of his hand and pulled him inside the bedroom. His bewilderment and partial excitement faded slightly as she turned around and faced him with a halfway open zipper.

'I can't reach it,' she mumbled, so faint that Jellal almost didn't catch the words.

His hands found the zipper, giving the delicate material slow, even tugs as the zipper slid up the length of her back. Not by accident, he let his hands linger on her shoulders and back. And when she didn't shove him away, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him, enjoying her warmth and the smell of soap which still lingered on her skin.

….

She didn't know what to say, she didn't know what to do, heck; she didn't even know what to think. How was one supposed to react when the love of your life disappears for two whole years and suddenly appears in your apartment like nothing ever happened? Oh, and he was also the prime suspect for one of the largest financial felonies of all time.

But things happened, circumstances had changed, she had changed. What if he really was the mastermind behind the whole plot? What if he was lying about having changed for the better? What if he was the reason they would lose Fairy Tail? Was she obstructing justice just by being in his presence? What if the council found out? What if her friends found out?

She knew they didn't exactly have a high opinion of him, and she knew they believed that he was only going to make her life worse; but maybe they were right, and she was indeed a fool for trusting him and forgiving him so easily?

After all, isn't it the definition of insanity to try something over and over again while trying to expect a different outcome?

But what if they were wrong? What if she pushed him away and lost her one chance at true happiness?

Without responding to his embrace, she pulled away from him and sat down at her makeup table. Pulling out various tubes and tiny bottles, she began applying foundation and concealer. She needed something to keep herself busy, something to do with her hands. For a moment, he stood there silently, weighing his options, considering the best possible course of action. He knew he couldn't force anything out of her, lest he wanted to unleash her violent side. But he also needed an answer, to know where he stood; to know if she still wanted the same things he did.

_Hadn't he already made up his mind?_

'Councilman Shinra's party?' he let the question linger in the air.

'Yeah,' she said softly, glancing at his reflection in the mirror 'you're going too?'

She began rummaging through her jewelry box under the pretense of looking for a necklace to go with her outfit. But her mind was distracted, counting each of his light footsteps as he approached her from behind.

'I'm friends with his son in law,' he said 'Ah, here, this one,'

He reached into the box and withdrew a classic Victorian style necklace; a string of delicate pink pearls made up the chain and hanging from its centre, a tear shaped pendant of a single large sapphire set in between a cluster of tiny red rubies. Her hand balled into a fist for a brief moment before she grabbed the necklace out of his hand.

'Jellal, stop,' she said, resting her hands on the dressing table.

'I just… I don't know how to act around you anymore,' she continued 'After all that has happened, after all this time, I'm just not sure if we can go back to the way we were,'

He looked into her eyes and knew she was telling the truth.

'I'm not asking you to marry me again,' he replied, though he knew he wanted nothing less.

Erza was surprised to find that something stung in her heart at those words.

'At the very least, I just want us to be friends. Don't shut me out Erza. Even if we don't talk or see each other, I just want to be a part of your life, and I promise I'll be content,'

She snorted, shaking her head.

'Don't lie to me Jellal, don't lie to yourself. You and I both know we could never be satisfied with that arrangement,'

A beacon of hope flared in his chest for a moment. However, Erza let out a groan of frustration and clasped her face with her palms, sinking back onto the stool in front of her dressing table. He was by her side in a flash.

'I can't think about this now!' she said 'The future of the company lies on my shoulders. I have to stop Zancrow from buying us over,'

His eyes darkened as he added two and two together, the picture forming in his head making his blood boil.

'Is that why you're dressed up like this?' he asked, the edge returning to his voice.

She glared at him.

'I have no idea what you're talking about. I always dress up nicely for occasions like this,' she turned around and began brushing her hair.

'And besides, it's really not any of your business anymore how I decide to handle things. Your two year absence proved that you couldn't care less about what happens to me,'

He grabbed the hand that was brushing her hair roughly and forced her to face him. It had been awhile since she had seen him in such rage, and her breath caught in her throat as she stared into the dark, now malevolent depths that were his eyes.

'I forbid you to go to the dinner dressed like this. Do you know what kind of a sadistic bastard that Zancrow is? He makes Midnight look like the prince of chastity! You will not approach him or else-'

'Or else what?' she yelled at him.

Her anger had shot through the roof. How dare he? Did he honestly think he had the right to go around telling her what to do? Did he think she was going to forgive him so easily?

She waved the hairbrush threateningly at him, wishing she hadn't left her re-equip lacrima at work.

'I'll do whatever I like, however I like, and there's nothing in the world you can do to stop me!' she threatened.

'I could tie you to the bed,' he sniggered 'It would be just like old times, don't you think?'

'Get out!' she screamed, her face turning the color of her hair 'Before I kill you myself!'

He dashed out of her apartment just as she slammed the door in his face. He stared at it angrily for awhile before pulling out his cell phone. It took a few tries, but finally, the person at the other end of the line picked up.

'Hey Sweets, it's me,' said Jellal, 'remember that favor you owe me?'

….

Back inside the room, Erza paced up and down as she tried to regain even a semblance of calm. Wringing her hands in frustration, she started popping her knuckles one by one. Finally, she counted backwards from ten and thought of the many ways which she could potentially murder Zancrow if he ever managed to steal the guild from her. When she reached disembowelment, she let out a cool, satisfied smirk and turned to check her reflection in the mirror.

_Something was missing._

She picked up the pearl necklace that he had chosen and clasped it onto her neck. As she felt the solid weight of the pendant on her neck resting just above her heart, she felt calm and focused. She smiled to herself sinisterly.

_The definitely decided to mess with the wrong member of Fairy Tail._

….

There probably had never been a grander party in the history of all Fiore. Or at least, that's what Erza thought as she gawked at the massive chandelier hanging above the dance floor of the ballroom. From the entrance of the grand hall, to the great sweeping circular marble staircases and the hundreds of intricate tapestries which hung throughout the elaborately decorated hallways, the Palace of Era which hosted the Annual Lunar Ball looked like a scene straight out of a Victorian romance novel.

Earlier, they dined on fine cuisine in the massive and richly decorated dining hall, and now, Erza, Lucy, Natsu, Gray and Juvia stood at a corner of the grand ballroom, sipping champagne while keeping an eye out for members of other companies. Occasionally, an ally would approach them to offer their condolences, and on other occasions, Natsu and Grey needed to be held back as rivals and business competitors jeered and mocked their loss. It was no secret that once Fairy Tail was gone, a major niche would be cleared up in the market, and the other companies would flock like vultures to take over their spot.

Erza hadn't spotted Zancrow yet, but she knew he was probably lurking somewhere here. She knew this since she had heard two women discuss him rather… ardently in the women's room.

'Ooh, what were they saying?' asked Lucy, her eager eyes wide with interest.

'Let's just say his family jewels won't be so secure if those ladies ever manage to lay their hands on him,' giggled Erza.

The others didn't know about Makarov's request. Neither did they know about Jellal. But as Erza scanned the ballroom once more, she let out a sigh of relief to note that he wasn't there. It was best if he didn't interfere tonight. She could always deal with whatever residue of feelings they had for each other once this chaos about the company was settled.

Just then, a tiny blue haired girl with a bandana through her short locks approached the circle of friends, following behind her was a tanned, heavily studded man decked in all black. The rest made room for them, as Levy grasped Lucy's hands excitedly and began to jabber excitedly.

'Oh my god, you guys, you'll never believe what we just heard!'

'What happened?' asked Gray, laying an arm on Levy's shoulder, trying to get her to calm down.

But Gajeel sent him a penetrating look and continued with the news.

'Overheard Laxus and the Chairman discussing some things just now,' he said 'we heard em' mentioning the two potential buyers for the company,'

'Wait,' said Erza, her nervousness climbing 'There are TWO buyers? Are you sure?'

Levy looked at her somberly.

'Yeah, the Chairman's exact words were "both buyers are present tonight, we've got to make sure nothing goes wrong",' she said.

'Did Chairman say who they are?' asked Juvia

'Nope,' replied Levy 'They clammed up as soon as they saw that we were listening,'

There were a few heartbeats of silence.

'You sound like you're hiding something from us Erza,' said Natsu

'Correction, I know you're hiding something from us. Now spill!' the pink haired man looked at Erza crossly. They had been friends since high school, and he realized it had to be a pretty big deal for Erza to keep such a secret from him.

'Yeah, tell us what's bugging you,' said Gray 'I think we should know if it concerns the future of the company,'

And they were right of course. They were all responsible for the company, and they all had to work together to protect it.

'Makarov told me that the potential buyer of the company would be here tonight, but he only mentioned one buyer; Zancrow, of Grimoire Hearts,'

Erza took in their angered and aghast looks as they processed the new information.

'Natsu, Gajeel, come with me,' said Gray, cracking his knuckles 'That self absorbed rooster wannabe is so dead,'

Levy blocked their path and spread her arms open with a cross look in her face.

'Stop it you guys! This is exactly what the chairman was afraid of. We can't just go about bashing people up like barbarians!' said the blunette.

'Well, we can't just sit here and do nothing,' replied Natsu.

'We will do _something,'_ said Erza 'Just…not right now,'

'Right,' said Lucy, clasping her palms together 'Let's all think of a plan,'

'I'll go scout the area and ask around and see if I can figure out who the second buyer is,' said Gajeel.

And they did just that.

….

It was much later in the evening when Erza found herself deep in conversation with Madame Porlyusica. The Madame was a rich, no-nonsense matriarch who was apparently, an old comrade of Chairman Makarov. Although no one really knew what their connection was, she was extremely loyal to the company and had personally contributed funds to them over the past few years.

She held a glass of wine daintily between her fingers as she scrutinized the party guests, having heard of the company's predicament.

'If you ask me, it's definitely that Ichiya fellow over there,' she said in her hoarse voice.

Erza looked over at the aforementioned man, standing beside Ren Akatsuki and gossiping voraciously with the younger man. He had come to the party in his usual white suit and tie ensemble and every once in a while, a lecherous grin would spread on his broad face as he ran a heavy palm through his thick orange hair.

'Do you really think so Madame?' asked Erza, sipping her wine 'Sure, he has his perverted moments, but he doesn't strike me as a threat,'

'Tsk, tsk child!' the elderly woman frowned 'Look at his eyes! Those shifty, beady, untrustworthy eyes are those of an opportunist! I can tell from here that you can never let your guard down around him,'

_Well, that was true._

'You can always tell the intentions of a man through his eyes,' continued Porlyuscia.

Emerald green; sometimes filled with mirth and happiness, as clear as the morning sky, and other times, dark and dangerous, twin serpentine orbs that could bring even the most evil foe trembling to his knees.

_Oh god, she missed him._

Suddenly, Porlyusica's eyes narrowed as her lips tightened into a straight line. She looked like she had just smelt something very unpleasant. Her gaze was directed somewhere to Erza's immediate left. The redhead turned and suppressed the anger and fear which flooded her veins as the fair-haired ace of Grimoire Hearts approached her.

He had a steady smirk on his face as he politely greeted Madame Porlyuscia. Turning to Erza, he knelt down slightly and placed a chaste kiss on her hand. Something about him made Erza's skin crawl. It must have been the excited glimmer of a challenge in his eyes as he caught her hatred-filled stare, or it might have been the tone of his voice, a tone of authority, of a man who knew he was capable of destruction, and enjoyed employing it all the same.

'I do believe Miss Scarlet and I have some business to discuss,' he said smoothly to the elderly lady 'would you mind if I stole her from you, for just a short while?'

The Madame didn't reply, staring at him with a blazing, hateful gaze. Zancrow smirked and nodded to the old lady before leading Erza away from the noise of the party. Erza had no doubt that the Madame would immediately inform the rest of her whereabouts.

They walked outside onto a veranda overlooking the gardens. The full moon was out tonight, and it cast a beautiful silvery glow on the marble statues and fixtures which were scattered about the area. If only the company matched the scenery.

'So, I've been wondering what I should do with you people once the company belongs to me,' he began, leaning on the stone banister separating the veranda from the gardens. His maniac grin had finally shown itself on his face.

'The deal hasn't been finalized yet. I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you. There's still a chance that the company won't be sold tonight,' snapped Erza

'What makes you so sure? I've made quite a good bid,' he snorted 'So much more than your precious company is worth, in fact,'

'If we're not worth it, then why bother spending so much in the first place?' she advanced on him, her hands on her hips, 'I'm sure there are more lucrative drug deals and counterfeit operations that deserve your money; am I right?'

He let out a low whistle and raised a placating hand.

'Easy there, hot stuff,' he laughed 'Don't go making statements you know nothing about. Didn't your boyfriend ever tell you not to go shooting your mouth off about the underworld?'

She gritted her teeth, on a scale of one to ten; her anger level was a fifty.

'Oh that's right,' he sneered 'Fernandes was in league with Zeref! Damn, I suppose I can't touch you now that you have super-villain immunity,'

She slapped him, and the crisp sound rang out through the otherwise silent night. But Erza began to back away in horror as his shoulders began to shake and he threw his head back, laughing like a madman.

'Uheeheehee! Now this is getting fun,' he said, advancing on her 'I always liked my women feisty,'

He managed to run a finger down her cheek before she slapped that away and took a few more steps back.

'Maybe I'll just keep you around after I send your company sinking to Davy Jones' locker! You'll be excellent entertainment,'

'Get rid of your sick fantasies, you monster!' she yelled. Of all times, why did she pick today to leave her weapons at work?

'Shouldn't you be begging me to spare your company, woman?' he turned his voice up a few pitches, 'Oh Master Zancrow, please don't harm us! I'll do anything for you! Anything!'

Her tolerance snapped and she swung a punch at him, failing to notice that he had been expecting just that. He let out a feral grin and sidestepped the swing, only to grab her arm, twist it behind her back and push her up against the far wall. In that instant, she cursed her stupidity for letting him get her alone.

But her survival instincts kicked in almost instantly. Ignoring the pain shooting from her bent arm, and the stale smell of alcohol emanating from his breath as he brought his face close to hers; she lifted her heeled foot and with great difficulty, sent a backwards kick in the general direction of his shin. His yell of pain told her that her attack had hit, and almost instantly, she felt his weight lift off her back.

She turned around instantly and saw Zancrow being slammed into one of the wooden chairs, his assailant gripping his neck, cutting off his air supply. The chair shattered upon impact and sent splinters of wood flying everywhere. Erza's eyes widened as she saw Jellal on top of Zancrow, sending blow after blow onto the man's face with his closed fist. It took Natsu, Gray and two other waiters nearly five minutes to break up the fight, and by that time, the crowd form the party had gathered around the Veranda, eager to see what all the commotion was about.

Jellal, his eyes still wild with anger, broke away from Natsu and Gray, took Erza in his arms and looked her up and down, making sure she was alright. She assured him that she was, placed her palms on his cheeks, made him look into her eyes and rested her forehead against his. He calmed down finally, shutting his eyes and letting his breaths even out.

'You are so dead!' yelled Zancrow 'Just you wait! I'll make sure you suffer so bad, you'll wish you weren't born!'

'Let's get out of here,' said Erza to Jellal 'Natsu and the rest will take of this,'

The blue haired man nodded, taking Erza's hand as she led him into the gardens. As they left, Jellal met Natsu's eyes for a brief moment. A quiet understanding passed between the two men and they each let a single nod pass between them, acknowledging each other's role in Erza's life.

….

They found one of the benches by the fountain and Erza requested a first aid kit from one of the waiting staff, upon noticing a small, bleeding wound just above his left eyebrow; most probably from the splinters of wood.

She swatted his hand away as he tried to rub off the blood with his sleeve cuff, claiming it was nothing. Plucking a damp piece of cotton from the kit, she dabbed at his forehead.

'It might get infected. Honestly, who do you men have to act so macho around women?'

She applied some disinfectant and after she stuck a bandage onto the wound, she noticed that he was observing her through half lidded eyes. For some reason, the scrutiny and the familiarity of his intense gaze made her blush.

'What is it?' she asked, packing away the first aid kit 'You want me to kiss it too?'

He smiled, making butterflies flutter in her tummy. Was he always this handsome?

'It would help; after all, it's not so often that a man like me experiences such a mortal injury like this,'

She laughed softly and didn't object as he slung an arm over her shoulders, drawing her closer to him. When her side was pressed up against his, and her head leaned on his shoulder, she sighed in contentment and said,

'I miss this. I miss you,'

He placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

'I miss you to,' he replied in a soft voice 'you were always on my mind, I swear. Every single day, for the past two years, I regretted not telling you the truth sooner,'

'I would have believed you, you know,' she mumbled 'If you told me the truth,'

He looked her in the eye.

'You would have come with me? Even if that made you an accomplice to crime?'

She smiled sadly and tilted her head upwards, laying a soft, chaste kiss on his lips

'Don't you already know? I would've followed you to the ends of the earth if I had to,' she whispered 'I love you,'

Two pairs of footsteps approached them, and upon seeing who it was, Erza sprang away from Jellal, standing up stiffly and bowing.

'I'm sorry chairman! I wasn't able to complete my objective. Please forgive me!'

'Tsk, tsk, child! Stand up straight! Need I remind you that you are a woman, not a warrior?'

Madame Porlyuscia and Chairman Makarov stood side by side in the garden pathway, her towering over the small man. However, Erza was surprised to see that both their faces held similar looks of happiness and relief. Jellal stood up as well, standing beside Erza and greeting the two newcomers politely before taking Erza's hand in his.

_Wait, what's going on here?_

'Do not fear, my dear,' said Makarov 'Zancrow is currently being restrained by members of security. Rest assured that he will not be attending any society functions anytime soon,'

'But, what about the company? Who won the bid?' she asked

'The second buyer,' said Makarov shifting his gaze to the man beside her 'Which is what brings me here in the first place. I wished to congratulate you, Mr Fernandes, on your spectacular victory,'

Erza stiffened, shock paralyzing her system completely. How on earth? Why didn't she notice? Why hadn't he said anything? He squeezed her hand, drawing her attention back to him. Relief flooded her heart, and she couldn't tell if the tears which sprung to her eyes were from sheer joy or just plain relief.

'But… but… how?' she asked

'Yes, we've wanted to know the same thing,' said Porlyusica in her clipped tone 'Results show that you managed to beat Zancrow by a mere 50 jewels. It feels almost like you knew how much he had put forward. Which should not be the case since bidding is strictly confidential,'

He looked at Erza and gave her a wide grin.

'Let's just say that the secret to success is a _sweet _one indeed,'

Whether Makarov and Porlyuscia caught his drift, he didn't know, or care. All that mattered was the woman in his arms, laughing along with him and at the same time shedding tears of joy while thanking him over and over again.

'One more thing,' said Porlyusica 'What are your intentions for the company now that you have obtained it?'

He drew in a breath as he looked Erza in the eye.

'Two years ago, I broke the heart of the woman I love. I just wanted to give her back the one thing she cares about most in the world, just so that she could not look at me with so much hatred and anger,' he rubbed away a trail of tears that had rolled down her cheek 'I'm sorry,'

'Oh, you silly goose,' she said, leaning her head against his chest, 'I love you. Always had and always will,'

….

Makarov laughed good naturedly as he and Porlyuscia walked away from the two lovebirds. He sensed that they needed their 'alone time' and realized it would probably be awhile before they rejoined the celebrations going on inside.

'Children these days,' grumbled Porlyusica 'They never learn. The rule of the thumb is to never mix business with pleasure!'

'Oh, is that why you never said yes to me?' joked Makarov.

He laughed some more at the icy stare she gave him.

They reached the veranda, now devoid of people and chair fragments. Before they stepped back into the ballroom, Makarov took one last look at the two shadows by the fountain, still wrapped in each other's arms, swaying to the noiseless music of the night.

'You know what they say about geese don't you?' he asked the Madame

She wrinkled her nose and said.

'No, I never had an interest for farming anyway,'

He smiled at his companion, a cheerful wink in his eye.

'They mate for life,'

**Wohoo! End of first mini-story! This ficlet was inspired by the recent Gossip Girl episode 'These Kids Are Not Alright'. For those who don't watch the series, you can skip this paragraph. Lol. I was inspired by the fact that Chuck was almost going to lose his company, and the fact that he would do anything to gain it back. My personal opinion is that he'll seduce Reina and somehow convince her dad not to buy his company 0_0 …**

**For those who didn't get it, Jellal called Sweets and got the insider information from him. Coz Sweets is Shinra's son in law. And he's able to dig for top secret government info that we underlings have no access to! **

**Please review and tell me what you think about the story. I think I spent nearly 5 hours on this chapter alone. But whatever, art requires sacrifice doesn't it? Lol. And don't hesitate to PM me if you have any questions or requests. I'd like to know what you think or what you'd like to see in future chappies!**

**Cheers!**

**Asianpearl**


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